Patti Webb, 65, was killed in a dog attack in September at her home near Avoca.
Eviction Lawsuit
UPDATE 01/27/24: In 2023, we obtained the investigative report from the Benton County Sheriff's office. The suspected dogs were three pit bulls belonging to Jeffery West Jr., who rented the mobile home on Webb's property. DNA samples were taken from the pit bulls, two females (one white and one gray) and one male (gray), and 7 other dogs loose on the property and sent to the Arkansas Crime Laboratory. It was later determined to not proceed with DNA testing. No criminal charges were filed.
In March 2022, Webb's estate sued West to obtain unpaid rent and utilities and to evict him from the property. The Complaint states in part, "Defendants own Pitbull dogs which, on September 24, 2021, mauled Plaintiffs' aunt, Patti Webb, to death. Since the attack, said dogs have bitten Plaintiff, Krista Webb, and have caused Plaintiff, Shanda Webb, to be trapped in her vehicle due to the dogs threatening to attack. No accident [action] has been taken by any authority regarding the dogs."
Jeffery West Jr. posted a photo of his three pit bulls to his Facebook page on November 12, 2021, just a few weeks after Webb was killed by the dogs, according to Webb's estate.
11/12/21: Suspected Attackers
Yesterday, we began examining the local rescuers and transports that began trying to find homes for the animals that were left on the property belonging to Patti Webb. She was discovered dead on her property on September 24, 2021, after being attacked by one or more dogs. The Benton County Sheriff's Office believe Webb was breaking up a fight between two dogs when at least one of them attacked her. There were at least 17 dogs on her property, the sheriff's department said.
We know that by October 6, rescuer Ken Garner was trying to find homes for four of Webb's dogs. We also know that by October 16, "more than a dozen" of Webb's dogs were sent to the "Ozark Freedom Drivers" for transport to Illinois. This combined number equates to about 17 dogs. These facts conflict what the sheriff's office told the NWA Democrat-Gazette on November 11. That "the dogs will remain in quarantine until reports are back from the laboratory" regarding the results of the DNA tests.
We also know that two dogs belonging to a neighbor may have also been involved in the attack, according to Captain Thomas See. Presumably, their DNA is also being tested. Those two dogs, which are still in the owner's custody, are being home-quarantined. An October 31 post by Garner, sheds more light on the neighbor, who is actually a renter on Webb's property. Both dogs are pit bulls. The dogs "knew her," Garner states, and she had taken both pit bulls to a veterinarian to get neutered.
Garner does not believe Webb's dogs were involved in the deadly attack. "I'm sure [it] wasn't Patti's dogs," Garner wrote. "Her renters had pits. But she took the pits and had [them] neutered. They knew her. But maybe trying to break up a fight. Don't know. Upsetting," he wrote. Given that all, or nearly all,1 of Webb's dogs have been rehomed already, it doesn't make sense from a police perspective that her dogs were involved in the fatal attack either. The only suspects are the two neutered pit bulls.
Garner states Webb's renters had pit bulls and that Webb had gotten both dogs neutered.
11/11/21: Avoca Woman Killed by Dogs
Benton County, AR - Patti Webb, 65-years old, was discovered dead at her home on September 24, according to Captain Thomas See, who leads the criminal investigation division for the Benton County Sheriff's Office. Detectives believe Webb was breaking up a fight between two dogs when at least one of the dogs attacked her. 17 dogs were removed from Webb's home near Avoca, See said. Two dogs belonging to a neighbor might have also been involved in the attack, See said.
The dogs seized from Webb's home were taken to the Humane Society for Animals in Rogers. See said her dogs needed to be held in quarantine due to the mauling. However, social media posts indicate that over a dozen of these dogs were sent to the "Ozark Freedom Drivers" for transport to Illinois on October 16. The two dogs belonging to the neighbor are still in the owner's custody. But the owner understands the dogs must be home-quarantined, according to Captain See.
DNA samples were taken from each of the dogs and sent to the Arkansas Crime Laboratory, reports the NWA Democrat-Gazette. See said the dogs will remain in quarantine until reports are back from the lab to see if it can be determined which dog or dogs were involved in the attack. Captain See made no mention of the over one dozen dogs belonging to Webb that have already been transported out of state. Webb fostered animals and took in stray dogs, according to authorities.
The Benton County Sheriff's Office did not issue a press release after her death in September and did not release the breeds of dogs that belonged to Webb or her neighbor. Captain See did confirm that the medical examiner determined Webb's death was due to being mauled to death by dogs. Online voter registration websites show that Webb lived in the 12000 block of Cavewood Road near Avoca. Her closest neighbor owns at least one female pit bull, according to his Facebook page.
The Disconnect
What the "quarantined dogs" disconnect by Captain See could indicate is that it became clear early on that over a dozen of Webb's dogs were not suspects and were cut loose by the sheriff's office -- freed for transport -- in October. Thus, leaving the neighbor's two dogs as the primary suspects and possibly one or only a few dogs owned by Webb. DNA lab results could take months to be returned, and there is no guarantee that there will be any follow up by news outlets at that time.
"Cut loose" may be the wrong choice of wording as well. A Facebook friend of Webb, Ken Garner, who tried to rehome Webb's pets stated on October 6, "We are trying to place animals that are left at Pattie Webb place in Avoca," indicating that some animals were never even seized, at least not by that date. Webb had a number of different kinds of animals, including adult dogs -- at least one was a great pyranees -- pyranees puppies, several overweight pot bellie pigs and a donkey.
Rescuer Ken Garner scurried to find homes for Webb's animals left outside on her property.
The great pyranees, named "Valerie," did have aggression issues. Comments about her puppies from Garner include, "They are big pyranees pups. So shy. Only patti could pet them."
View the DogsBite.org Google Map: Arkansas Fatal Pit Bull Maulings.Related articles:
01/15/21: 2020 Dog Bite Fatality: 9-Year Old Boy Killed by Two Pit Bulls in Central Arkansas
04/17/20: 2020 Dog Bite Fatality: Man Dies After Violent Pit Bull Mauling in Southwest Arkansas
Law enforcement departments across the United States should release consistent "baseline" information to the media and the public after each fatal dog mauling, including these items.
Nothing surprising here, considering the circumstances of the situation. Why did it take so long for this news story to surface? Is it because it was willfully suppressed?
I don’t know what to say about this mess. Three pot bellied pigs, a donkey, and a litter of puppies means the total number of fighting adult dogs may not have been many. As we know, the media calls one hour old puppies adults.
I personally have a lot of dogs, and I run no more than two dogs together at any given time. Litters can be kept together for a time. If folks cannot keep themselves and their pets safe, they must arrange more safe areas to confine dogs or don’t take them in.
Currently for medical reasons I cannot handle most of my dogs. However, I have a young kennelman who.loves carrying 75 pound dogs around in his arms.
I use double fencing to protect dogs running the fence. All the dogs are GSDs.
Maybe the dogs sent elsewhere were all puppies. Folks with dogs must know how to safely split a dog fight.
There is no market for pot-bellied pigs. The local sale barn might get $25 for newborn pot-bellied piglets. If the pigs are at all older, they will sell for $2.00 each or attract no buyers at all. So the owner has to take them back home. They are not easy to move, as many are over 100 pounds.
Obviously, this woman was very kind hearted and she lacked the facilities and the help to take care of the animals. That’s very unfortunate. No winners here.
” As we know, the media calls one hour old puppies adults.”
I have noticed the opposite. If a dog isn’t grey and it can walk without a limp, it is a puppy. Particularly if that dog has injured or killed another animal or a person and/or if the dog was put down by mean old animal control /shot by police. Usually a “harmless puppy” if the police or animal control get involved.
I don’t understand the sanctuaries for pot bellied pigs. So many people are sold plain old baby pigs by unscrupulous sellers. They get too big for the house and then get dumped on some sanctuary. There is a much simpler solution. Butcher them. That works for unwanted, too big to be cute pot belies as well.
Speaking of sale barns most if not all of the ones in my area have closed in the last 20 years. I don’t know where small to medium sized farmers sell their livestock anymore.
She sounds like a hoarder to me.
That’s what I thought. The dogs are dirty and running around in the dirt.
She was not a hoarder. She was a very close family friend of mine for 30 years. There is way more to this story than what the media has led on. Who cares if she hoarded or not…her life was lost. You are clearly missing the point.
But everyone on here just assuming and having opinions on what they think happened or how this woman lived is the irritating part. She fostered and teamed up with animal shelters from all over. If they ever thought she “hoarded” or “it was dirty and nasty” then they would not have let her foster them especially not for over 30 years. Animals were her life. Her dogs were taken and all their DNA was taken and none of them came back as being positive for mauling her. Her renters were also two months behind on rent and owned those two pit bulls that are aggressive. Their home is on her property, a trailer home. They’re not going to release other details because it is still being investigated. Those pits and their owners are being investigated. Her dogs were turned loose from their pens to make it look like a dog fight. Put it together…
Are you thinking renters behind on rent purposely sicced their pitbulls on the victim?
Unlike a person having too many cats, I really cannot recall seeing a news item of authorities coming onto a property and seizing numerous dogs. Doesn’t happen around here at least.
Only after an “accident” occurs are dogs ever taken away. And in the case here, a structured logistics campaign obviously involving a network of people allowing evidence to be removed and hidden as best they see fit. Authorities turn a blind eye for an mutually agreed upon window of opportunity.
Our legislators obviously think this the best course of action. Hides all the dirty details, the number of deaths goes down, crime plummets. Smiley happy people everywhere, and all because of dogs.
Nothing surprising here indeed. Dog nation is just too big to fail. Bring on the brutal maulings. The maul the merrier. We’re just human cattle, like the Eloi in “The Time Machine” – when one of our own is consumed yet again by the Morlochs and we just stand away and continue grazing on stories of the latest college football head coach appointment.
Quote snip: “Unlike a person having too many cats, I really cannot recall seeing a news item of authorities coming onto a property and seizing numerous dogs. Doesn’t happen around here at least.
Only after an “accident” occurs are dogs ever taken away. … … …”
We had that here in Prescott, sans “accident”, just this summer: https://www.fox10phoenix.com/news/more-than-60-dogs-rescued-from-prescott-home-after-complaints-of-strong-odors-of-feces
“During the visit, police say the home owner’s daughter, 47-year-old Joanna Riggle, drove up to the home’s driveway going fast and endangered police.”
After a look at her mug shot, it doesn’t take much imagination to guess her loud drawling protestation towards the police upon exiting her vehicle.
“You git your filthy hands off them precious fur babies!”
Thanks for supplying that news item, Richard. A much needed respite after all the gut wrenching things one reads here. It’s refreshing to see something that has a good outcome, and even a bit comical one at that.
I just had to take a look at the owners property on google maps. More than 150 dogs? That poor unfortunate neighborhood having to endure that, along with anyone standing in line at the store while downwind of the owners.
Opens your eyes to the lifestyle involved in Dogie-mania.
It boggles my mind that people think they have to ‘support’ a vicious, unadoptable dog for LIFE.
It never crosses their mind that such a dog could and should be humanely euthanized.
Its up to them if they want to keep the dog or not, as long as they don’t let the dog escape to eat the public it’s fine. If it can only attack the owner / rescuer that’s their freedom to take that risk.
In this case she took the risk and she paid for it with her life. It’s sad but at least no one else got hurt.
In a perfect world you can say “let them take the risk”.
But this world is far from perfect. Too many “STUPID” people, as KaD notes. And too many irresponsible owners who place their neighbors in jeopardy, and then following an incdient lie as readily as take a fresh breath of air afterwards.
And then as also discussed in the comments, the hoarders and the people who pack as more animals into half an acre of property than are contained in any large city zoo.
I’m not OK with the “so long as” angle.
I realize this is an older post, but an important update was made to it today. In case anyone is still following this post.